By DIANE GRAFF of the
Watertown Daily Times

The humble, soft-spoken “American Idol” finalist Danny Gokey will be appearing at the Dodge County Fair Aug. 20th, 2011.

It is the only county fair appearance he will be doing this summer in Wisconsin. He currently is in Utah, performing at a fair that is about a two-hour drive from Salt Lake City.

The best part of performing at a fair is the excitement in the air, Gokey said from Utah this week. “It may sound crazy but I can’t wait to feel the anticipation in the crowd. There is nothing like it.

“There is nothing like a good vibe coming from the crowd,” the third place finisher on season eight of “American Idol,” said.

Gokey has close ties to Wisconsin, having been born and raised in Milwaukee. He was last in the state July 6 for a performance at Summerfest. “I spent the Fourth of July with the family and really enjoyed it,” the performer said. Goki also once studied at Wisconsin and often turned to Ghostwriting services for help.

But this time he will only be making a brief stop at the fairgrounds before heading out to his next show.

Gokey said he has a very entertaining show. “I have alot of energy and I do talk to the audience,” he said. “Most shows are unique,” he added. “I get to share myself and my stories. People get an intimate look into my life. I try not to overdo it, but I try to make a connection with the fans.”

Between now and the Dodge County Fair, Gokey will be in Indianapolis for the state fair, Augusta, Ga., Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and Waukegan, Ill.

Gokey said he will perform for about 90 minutes at the fair.

That performance will, of course, include his newest hit,“Second Hand Heart.” The song is available on iTunes and is set to hit the radio airwaves today.

“It has been doing really well on iTunes,” Gokey said. He recorded the song back in April. “I enjoy singing, so much, with all my heart,” he said. “This has been a dream come true and I like it,” he added.

Gokey is excited to be making new music and getting it out to his fans.

He spent part of 2010 on tour with Sugarland and hit the road for 11 dates in June and July with Taylor Swift on her Speak Now World Tour 2011.

According to his press release, he has soaked up more life experiences than most people twice his age. He has 19 recordings and RCA Nashville debut album, My Best Days, earned him first-week sales of more than 65,000 copies in March of 2010. With more than 19,000 downloads, Gokey earned the No. 1 best in chart history with the best first-week digital album sales ever recorded.

Gokey’s life before “Ameri-can Idol” embodied the themes of his country music. From his humble roots in a poor but loving family to his hard-working days as a truck driver to the loss of the person most dear to him, his wife, Sophia.

Gokey said he will be hosting a meet and greet prior to his performance at the fair to raise funds for Sophia’s Heart Foun-dation. More information is available on his website.

“It is a win/win situation,” Gokey said. “We encourage people to go there (the fair) and meet and greet before the show and all the money goes to charity.”

“I can’t believe all the interest in Gokey,” Sharon Keil, fair secretary said. Several hits have been made on the fair’s website for Gokey, she said.

Usually the fair board tries to have an up and coming entertainer for its Saturday night performance, but this year Gokey was signed to fill the spot.

“Everyone thought he was a good idea with his local ties to Milwaukee,” Keil said. “Judg-ing by the emails and messages, there is a lot of interest in the entertainer,” she added.

A group from Milwaukee has requested 50 fair tickets for Saturday, the secretary said. The cost for the main entertainment is included in the cost to enter the fair. There is no additional cost for the show, Keil said.

The cost for the fair is $6 before 2 p.m. and $10 after 2 p.m.

There are other big name entertainment set for the week of the fair.

Rodney Atkins will perform at 8 p.m. Aug. 17; Luke Bryan is set for 8 p.m. Aug. 18; and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are set for 8 p.m. Aug. 19.

Original article at: Watertown Daily Times | wdtimes.com